Abby Dixon, the executive director of the Henderson Tourist Commission, said her staff is “small but mighty.” Recent wins at Thursday’s Kentucky Travel Industry Association Traverse Awards prove it.
According to information provided by the tourist commission, the highlight was receiving the Award of Distinction, which is one of the most coveted honors of the awards show.
The tourist commission was awarded that honor for its Songs of Summer marketing campaign.
This campaign highlighted five signature music festivals featured in Henderson’s summertime lineup, utilizing multiple outlets from video and traditional print ads to a robust digital marketing strategy. The Songs of Summer campaign also earned a “Gold” award in the Marketing Campaign category, recognizing its exceptional reach and effectiveness, said the tourist commission in a release. (See a list of more wins below)
Dixon said the local tourist commission competed against other tourist organizations in the state—including from Louisville and Lexington—that have staffs of 20-plus and multimillion dollar budgets. She also said that many other tourist groups use outside marketing for many of their projects whereas most of Henderson’s campaigns are all created in-house.
The Henderson Tourist Commission has a staff of two full-time employees and two part-time employees with a $300,000 budget, Dixon said.
The key, Dixon said, has been thinking creatively and strategically when putting together campaigns. And it helps that the 4-person staff show up with a passion for Henderson, all seeing its potential as a destination, she said.
“We show up with the mindset that we’re going to punch above our weight class because that’s what our community deserves,” Dixon told the Hendersonian.
The tourist commission also garnered other notable wins. Those include:
- Gold in Digital: Gnomes of Audubon State Park social media campaign
- Silver in Destination Management: Welcome, Viking Cruisers!
- Bronze in Video/Podcast: “Take Flight” Audubon bird brand video
Additionally, the Henderson Tourist Commission collaborated on and executed several multi-county projects that garnered high praise:
- Best in Show: Kentucky After Dark
- Gold in Marketing Campaign: Kentucky After Dark
- Gold in Digital: Great Big Kentucky Adventure
- Gold in Radio or TV Broadcast Advertising: Kentucky After Dark :15 spot
- Gold in Video or Podcast: Great Big Kentucky Adventure Zaza video
- Gold in Video or Podcast: Kentucky After Dark social series
- Gold in Website: Great Big Kentucky Adventure
Henderson’s leadership of and contributions to these regional initiatives further demonstrate the power of collaboration in showcasing Kentucky’s diverse tourism offerings. Silver and Bronze awards recognized excellence in digital marketing, destination management, PR initiatives, and more:
- Silver in Digital: West Kentucky BBQ Belt digital campaign
- Silver in Specialty Item: Kentucky After Dark passport
- Silver in PR Initiative: Kentucky After Dark PR campaign
- Silver in Video or Podcast: “Tune In” promotional video for the Bluegrass, Blues & BBQ Region of Western Kentucky
- Silver in Website: Kentucky After Dark website
- Bronze in ARPA funded projects: Great Big Kentucky Adventure
- Bronze in Destination Management: West Kentucky BBQ Belt
- Bronze in Marketing Campaign: Bluegrass, Blues & BBQ Region of Western Kentucky “Tune In” regional campaign
- Bronze in PR Initiative: Great Big Kentucky Adventure PR initiative
- Bronze in Website: West Kentucky BBQ Belt website
The KTIA Traverse Awards celebrate excellence in tourism marketing and innovation across the Commonwealth. Both Dixon and Marketing Director Ellie Kellen were on hand to accept the awards.
